Stranger Things [Netflix] [*** Spoilers ***]

Slydice

OK! I'm literally here for like.. A SECOND before going on to eight (the finale)! I don't think many people will watch seven and not need to see the eight!

I actually had to hold something for when she went in to check Will Byers after seeing Barbara, I think I grabbed the arm of a chair!

AND THEN! THEN THAT CLIFFHANGER!

OH CRAP!

Agent Coulson

Just finished it and it's brilliant maybe the best thing made for tv in the last few years and that's saying a lot.

Slydice

Just finished. Agreed! It was brilliant.

Really good TV! I can't help but feel it's even better than a lot of blockbuster films that have come out this year. Maybe it's just cos I just finished and need to take it all in for a second. Will see

JohnK wrote: »

Spoiler for finale:

Very happy to see they left it open for a second season with the 1 month later bit - I had been thinking they might do an American Horror Story idea and go with a completely new setup for a season 2 but based on the ending I'd assume they'd continue the same story. Only thing now is do we think El is alive or dead? I'm leaning more towards being alive and Will is going to see her at some stage when he has another temporary crossover then rescuing her could form the basis for the second season.

I'm really hoping she's alive!

There was sooo many FEELs in that last episode. I'm not sure what came over me, I think I almost started going numb to the feels, there was so much of them.

I had no clue how they were going to end it. I thought it might finish up after the rescue of Will but I was kinda cool that they did some follow through and the 1 month later bit.

Then I was like.. Woah! as it all started to unveil the potential for this to have another season. I don't know how they're gonna build on this but I'll definitely be watching it!

Basq

Slydice wrote: »

I'm really hoping she's alive!

Surely

Hop leaving the "Eggos" in the little bunker-box means he may know she's alive.

Great season though not sure how they'll follow it up - interested to find out though!

Slydice

Basq wrote: »

Surely

Hop leaving the "Eggos" in the little bunker-box means he may know she's alive.

Yes definitely my spirits picked up when I saw that. I was all like.. OH PLEASE GIVE A SIGN SHE'S OK! but they didn't...

*SPOILER FOR Batman V Superman*

but I remember how they showed the dirt move on supermans casket in Batman V Superman and being a little disappointed that they gave it away so on balance, I was ok with it

northgirl

Amazing.. now what.. :pac:

jimmii

Just finished it Holy crap it's good! In a way I hope they don't do more it's just such a perfect series as it is.

pixelburp

Two episodes in and I think this is the first Netflix series I've unreservedly loved and become hooked on. Their stuff has had a tendency to be a bit dry and flat, often lacking that x factor spark; but Stranger Things is a triumph of suspense, atmosphere and drama so far.

jimmii

pixelburp wrote: »

Two episodes in and I think this is the first Netflix series I've unreservedly loved and become hooked on. Their stuff has had a tendency to be a bit dry and flat, often lacking that x factor spark; but Stranger Things is a triumph of suspense, atmosphere and drama so far.

Big time! Watched the first episode last night then watched the rest today first time ever watching a whole series like that!

Your Face

I think its great.

jcsoulinger

4 down just epic so far, the pacing has been in real never a dull moment. It's very reminiscent of midnight special which I also enjoyed but this is better so far. The Chief and Winona have been great value.

11 must be the chiefs daughter, was thinking this since ep 2, also reckon she is going to die saving Will.

Came to see what people thought and see if this was worth my time. I've remained spoiler free and it seems this gets a resounding thumbs up

longshanks

Just finished it, great show. It'll surely get a second series.

The Black Oil

'I'm a fan of Thumper'

pc7

3 down and loving it. Loving all the 80s stuff bringing back so many memories, soundtrack is great too.

pc7

conorhal wrote: »

Two episodes in and I have to say, this is great TV, but then I would, as a child of the 80's this Spielbergian mash up of his greatest hits (a dose of E.T. combined with a chunk of Close Encounters and Poltergiest with an added dash of The Goonies, basically all the movies I loved growing up) it's like it was personally written for me and it doesn't hurt that it's well written, tense and packed with the nostalgic soundtrack of my youth also.

Myself and himself have been chatting and wondering if we hadn't grown up in the 80s would we love it as much? Any non 80s (non et, goonie loving peeps) enjoying it.

jcsoulinger

pc7 wrote: »

Myself and himself have been chatting and wondering if we hadn't grown up in the 80s would we love it as much? Any non 80s (non et, goonie loving peeps) enjoying it.

It probably helps with some of the references but overall I wouldn't say it makes allot of difference. It's possible they would like it more as they would have less to compare it to.

conorhal

pc7 wrote: »

Myself and himself have been chatting and wondering if we hadn't grown up in the 80s would we love it as much? Any non 80s (non et, goonie loving peeps) enjoying it.

Perhaps not, every little nod to ET put a goofy grin on my face, that said it's breezy, clips along at a good pace and saturated in tension so there's enough there for the casual viewer. Plus at 8 episodes it's lean and pacey with no flab so it doesn't outstay it's welcome.
I believe Spielberg is directing 'Ready Player One', which is an entertaining book but it's so drenched in 80's trivia with some obscure pop cultural reference in every paragraph that I wonder what it's appeal might be if you weren't inherently nostalgic for the period.

On a side note, I got a copy of Midnight Special which seems like a very similar story to Stranger Things, I haven't watched it yet but it does seem that lately there's a generation of Spielberg kids that have grown up and are now making homages to his films through their own work.

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TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Finished episode 6 there.

Two thoughts.

1 - Not spoilery but I'm glad the explanations, so far, have made sense. I was worried it would be something like The Returned where you're left with more questions than answers.

2 -

I got totes emosh at the end of the episode when Eleven was telling Mike that she's the monster and he hugged her and then Dustin hugged them both.

Agent Coulson

Seeing the Millennium Falcon made me giddy it was the one toy from my 80's childhood I never got and always wanted there was one kid in my neighbourhood who got it no one liked him but he became the most popular kid around for a while as everyone wanted to play his Millennium Falcon.

conorhal

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Seeing the Millennium Falcon made me giddy it was the one toy from my 80's childhood I never got and always wanted there was one kid in my neighbourhood who got it no one liked him but he became the most popular kid around for a while as everyone wanted to play his Millennium Falcon.

I always felt sad for the kids with a Millennium Falcon, it was a signifier that their parents were divorced and prepared to buy their children's affection and happiness .

Spending hundreds of euro on children's presents for Christmas was definitely not a phenomenon of the 80's that's for sure, and that toy was expensive.

pixelburp

pc7 wrote: »

Myself and himself have been chatting and wondering if we hadn't grown up in the 80s would we love it as much? Any non 80s (non et, goonie loving peeps) enjoying it.

I think the important difference in this is that the setting is not intrinsic to the appreciation or understanding of what's going on. Unlike something like the aforementioned Ready Player One, or the viral short film Kung Fury, both of which positively wallow in the decade to the point of obnoxiousness.

In essence, this show's a supernatural missing-persons story (or at least, that's what it is for me, 2 episodes in) that could really be set in any era; the 80s cultural artefacts are a definite nod towards the inspirations behind Stranger Things, but they're there for those who 'get' them - for anyone else, it's just a gripping thriller set in a bygone time. The show isn't digging the audience in the ribs to point out some long-dead piece of pop culture for us crusty 30-sometimes who'd recognise it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Episode 7.

Slightly confused.

Maybe I misunderstood what Nancy and Jonathan found in the woods but wasn't it a way into The Upsidedown? So why did the Chief and Winona have to break into the lab to try to find the gate?

off.the.walls

Finished this series in 2 days! Unreal show!!

jcsoulinger

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Episode 7.

Slightly confused.

Maybe I misunderstood what Nancy and Jonathan found in the woods but wasn't it a way into The Upsidedown? So why did the Chief and Winona have to break into the lab to try to find the gate?

I reckon those openings were being created by the monster, and only appear sporadically for a short time so you can't predict where they are going to occur.

pc7

pc7 wrote: »

Myself and himself have been chatting and wondering if we hadn't grown up in the 80s would we love it as much? Any non 80s (non et, goonie loving peeps) enjoying it.

Same conversation here and only on episode 1 , they nailed the 80's. Looks like they spent money on this and spent it well. It looks 100% like it was made in the early-mid 80's. Hell the dog right at the start when the kid is on the phone looks like an 80's movie dog and went to doggie heaven 30 years ago.

Winona Ryder in it and neon and synth intro and fonts = total 80's buzz even down to the dust on the film effect during the intro :cool:

Contrast it to something like the Dead of Summer we are also watching and admittedly liking at the moment and is also set in 80's and there it feels like each of the characters is on facebook or tweeting while not on camera and they fake the 80's by playing songs from then

Slydice

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Episode 7.

Slightly confused.

Maybe I misunderstood what Nancy and Jonathan found in the woods but wasn't it a way into The Upsidedown? So why did the Chief and Winona have to break into the lab to try to find the gate?

I'd say keep watching, it becomes clearer. More in the next spoiler below if ya really want but it might be spoilery on ya

It sealed itself back up. The monster is breaks through and reality seems to heal itself after it goes back. Eleven is the reason there is a permanent gateway from our side at all. It looks like it was her power that created the big gateway breach in the first place and allowed for the monster to break through wherever. Although maybe the monster always had the power but could never smell the blood before Elevens gateway was made.

jcsoulinger

Just finished it moments ago wow what a roller coaster of a show, it will stick long in the memory. What is it about kids that gets you so much more emotionally involved in a story.

The ending was very bittersweet for me

It was sad but perfect, and I can't help feeling that it will never have a better ending than the one we just witnessed, The one month later scene was great, as I thought they were going out of their way to give us an extra bit of closure then I realised it was probably setting up a season 2 which I'm kind of torn about.

I think the chief leaving the food in the wood must mean El is still alive in some form.

Also nice nod to Aliens in the last ep when they find Will.

jcsoulinger

jcsoulinger wrote: »

4 down just epic so far, the pacing has been in real never a dull moment. It's very reminiscent of midnight special which I also enjoyed but this is better so far. The Chief and Winona have been great value.

11 must be the chiefs daughter, was thinking this since ep 2, also reckon she is going to die saving Will.

Should have known better than to make obvious predictions about this show.

Slydice

jcsoulinger wrote: »

Should have known better than to make obvious predictions about this show.

It was one of the possibilities than ran through my head.